Three weeks into the second Trump administration, it’s an understatement to say that we are in a time of unprecedented noise. Americans have been hit with enough manufactured controversies, distractions, and outrages to make our heads spin. And frankly, that’s the idea: If we’re not careful, we’ll spend all our energy chasing every headline, arguing every asinine point, and taking on every micro-battle until we’re too exhausted to fight for what truly matters.
Look at some of the headlines from the president recently, which are consistently in the news: Renaming the Gulf of Mexico the “Gulf of America.” Annexing Greenland. Making Canada the 51st state. A hundred more just like these. They aren’t serious proposals; they’re ploys designed to distract Americans, stir up controversy, and keep folks so caught up in reacting that they don’t see what’s happening before them.
Calling back to the first days of the Iraq War in 2003, journalists and pundits have begun referring to the new administration’s tactics since Jan. 20 as shock and awe. But instead of laser-guided bombs striking Baghdad, the theater of operations is domestic – precisely, Americans’ collective capacity to cope with overwhelming amounts of targeted noise.
We have to do a better job of understanding this raging river of stimuli. While we argue about nonsense, actual harm is being done. Reckless policies in Gaza are worsening an already dire humanitarian crisis. Agencies like USAID, essential to international stability, are being hollowed out. Key government institutions and functions that have direct benefits to every American are being cynically dismantled. These are the fights we can’t afford to ignore.
So, how do we stay meaningfully engaged without getting lost in the noise? It starts with knowing which fights are worth the time and which ones aren’t. Here are three questions you can ask yourself to tell the difference.
1. Does this issue have real-world consequences?
If a policy affects people’s rights, their safety, and their ability to put food on the table, it’s worth paying attention to. Consider the administration’s proposal to “take over” Gaza and relocate its 2.2 million residents, a reckless and internationally condemned suggestion that would violate human rights. That’s a dangerous policy idea that requires our attention.
Meanwhile, an executive order suggesting the rebranding of government buildings or changing the names of military bases? Not exactly life or death.
Another example is the recent notion to strip workplace protections and overtime pay from millions of workers. This impacts real lives, forcing people into economic precarity. On the other hand, the president’s offhand remark about bringing back a reality-TV-style “Apprentice” contest for White House staff is not something worth losing sleep over.
2. Is this being amplified to distract from more important issues?
A frivolous controversy will often dominate the airwaves while major crises unfold with little fanfare. When politicians or pundits spend precious time obsessing over a single viral moment — a celebrity’s political opinion, a controversial college speaker — it’s worth asking: What’s being buried?
Case in point: While the administration and its enablers continue a full-throated campaign about banning certain books in public schools, legislation that slashes public education funding is quietly being pushed. Book bans, while dangerous, are often used as a smokescreen for broader efforts to undermine an entire education system.
Cable news, regardless of a network’s ideology, has elevated this practice to an art form. Recently, TV pundits fixated on a minor diplomatic spat with a European ally while barely covering executive orders gutting environmental regulations.
If an issue is taking up disproportionate attention in the media, it’s often by design.
3. Who gains from the public focusing on this?
If the people in power are the ones pushing an issue, chances are it’s not because they want change. It’s because they want control. Take the notion of labeling certain protests as “domestic terrorism” while quietly eroding civil liberties in the background. That’s a classic bait-and-switch: Stir up fear about protesters so that those in power can justify expanding surveillance or cracking down on political opposition. Meanwhile, corporate tax cuts are being spooled up with barely a peep in the news cycle.
If an issue is being used to divide rather than solve problems, it’s worth questioning why.
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We’ve seen these tactics before. We know how they work. And we know that if we let ourselves get caught up in every minor provocation, we’ll lose sight of the actual battles – the fight for democracy, justice, and this country’s future. Let’s not let it happen.
